Welcome to the “old dogs learn new tricks” department, Sun Prairie chapter. I’m finally launching my own blog space, What Greg Says. It’s been a long time coming, and even after having the basics set up a couple of weeks ago, I kept feeling like there were details that needed tweaking. But I can’t wait any longer: Events are happening that need to be addressed at least in a moderately timely fashion, and besides, the 2016 concert season is already underway. I’ve got music to hear, reviews to write… So please excuse any sense of the unfinished; I’m sure with a little help from my friends (not to mention trial and error!), the site will soon look a little snazzier.
In the meantime here’s a very quick hello, and miscellaneous background notes (you can find some expansion of this on my “About” page).
I first entertained the idea of my own blog space when I took a course at MATC in the spring of 2012, “Writing for New Media.” Technically I had already been “blogging” since August 2010, first for Dane101.com, a year later moving to Madison Magazine. But to me it just felt like it always had since 1988 when I wrote my first reviews for the Los Angeles Times, and all the subsequent reviews and feature articles since. Certainly I was attracted to the notion of having my own space, where not everything would be about music. But the class came and went, and my “real” jobs kept me swept up in the month to month, year to year busyness that most of us contend with.
Finally at the end of this past summer I began to seriously entertain the idea of a blog space again…I’m deep in the midst of a special long term project that will eventually need to be launched, at least in part, from such a platform. (Stay tuned!). Once again, the work routines of fall pulled me along, and then Madison Magazine announced a change in their blogging format that spurred me on. My first monthly blog posted there (there being www.madisonmagazine.com or www.channel3000.com) on January 8. My live reviews will appear here on What Greg Says…and then I’ll tweet the link, and MM will re-tweet; technology is so wonderful!
At a guess, about 75%+ of my posts will be reviews or music related, the rest will be personal, ranging from occasional reflections on how God has and continues to work in my life, to the arguably frivolous: the joys of disc golf, or the travails of being a fan of certain New York sports teams that tend to amuse rather than amaze. Ah, well! First things first. I know at this early stage that most of my first group of faithful visitors will come for the music stuff; feel free to ignore anything that doesn’t interest you!
And in case post #2 doesn’t come out as quickly as I’d like, allow me to announce that this Wednesday, January 20, I will be making my television debut on Channel 3’s morning show. It’s scheduled to be a monthly appearance, the third Wednesday of the month, with about five minutes around 6:40 a.m., to preview notable upcoming events. See you on the tube! Blessings to all…
WhatGregSays 
Welcome to personal blogging, Greg! I’m excited to keep up with your posts myself—even more excited for your faithful readers who are accustomed to your regular writing on madisonmagazine.com.
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Congratulations on this new endeavor! I’m looking forward to reading your posts.
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If I remember correctly, you mentioned @ the Final Forte concert that you’re a clarinetist from Boston. While living in Japan, I’d applied to work a summer session at Tanglewood as a music librarian, but not having the luxury of a flight to Boston for an interview, nothing happened. Despite that I’ve always had an admiration for the Boston Symphony, especially since Seiji Ozawa was it’s principal conductor for about . . . 20 years or so? You may already know that Ozawa, while being a truly world-class conductor who really knows repertoire well, if I’m not mistaken, his wife’s affluence put him through music school, shortly after which, he divorced her. So much for gratitude.
Regarding this blog, all I can say is it’s terrific. I paid some outfit that telephoned me a couple years ago $400 to help me set up a similar blog that I intended to review music and, being a librarian, books with. Of course, the outfit was a ripoff and nothing ever happened. Eventually, I hope to get it going, perhaps after I’m able to get my memoirs published. In any event, keep up the great work!
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